Factors affecting willingness to pay for NHS-based orthodontic treatment.

Objective To assess factors affecting willingness to pay for orthodontic treatment.Methods An online discrete choice experiment and willingness to pay study was conducted on a convenience sample of 250 participants aged 16 and above over a four-month period. Participants completed a series of stated-preference tasks, in which they viewed choice sets with two orthodontic treatment options involving different combinations of attributes: family income; cost to patient; cause of problem; prevention of future problems; age; severity of the problem; and self-esteem/confidence.

Prioritising NHS dental treatments: a mixed-methods study.

Objectives To determine the priorities of patients and dental professionals concerning NHS dental treatments, the factors influencing prioritisation and the willingness to contribute towards the cost of NHS dental treatments.Methods Focus groups and interviews involving patients and practitioners informed the development of a piloted questionnaire concerning the priorities for NHS dental treatments. Patients attending three purposively selected dental settings in London and Kent, as well as dental professionals working within a large London dental hospital were recruited to participate in this initial qualitative phase.

Long-term occlusal and soft-tissue profile outcomes after treatment of Class II Division 1 malocclusion with fixed appliances.

Introduction: Our objective was to determine which factors were predictive of good long-term outcomes after fixed appliance treatment of Class II Division 1 malocclusion.

Methods: Two hundred seven patients with Class II Division 1 malocclusion were examined in early adulthood at a mean of 4.6 years after treatment with fixed appliances.

Medical disorders and orthodontics.

The orthodontic treatment of patients with medical disorders is becoming an increasing aspect of modern day practice. This article will draw attention to some of the difficulties faced when orthodontic treatment is provided and will make recommendations on how to avoid potential problems.

Self-perception of dentofacial attractiveness among patients requiring orthognathic surgery.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that the self-perception of dental and facial attractiveness among patients requiring orthognathic surgery is no different from that of control patients.

Materials And Methods: Happiness with dental and facial appearance was assessed using questionnaires completed by 162 patients who required orthognathic treatment and 157 control subjects. Visual analog scale, binary, and open response data were collected.

Psychological status of patients referred for orthognathic correction of skeletal II and III discrepancies.

Objective: To establish the extent of psychological problems among patients who require orthognathic treatment.

Materials And Methods: Five aspects of psychological functioning were assessed for 162 patients who required orthognathic treatment and compared with 157 control subjects.

Results: Analysis of variance did not detect any significant difference in the five psychological scores recorded for the skeletal II, skeletal III, and control groups.

Parent reports of the psychosocial functioning of children with cleft lip and/or palate.

Objectives: (1) to determine the opinion of parents regarding the psychosocial functioning of their child with cleft lip and/or palate (CLP); (2) to identify predictors of psychosocial functioning; and (3) to determine the level of agreement between children with CLP and their parents.

Participants: One hundred twenty-nine parents of children with CLP and 96 parents of children without CLP participated in this cross-sectional study.

Outcome Measures: Parental opinion of the child's self-esteem, anxiety, happiness, and problems caused by facial appearance were assessed using visual analogue scales.

A cephalometric study of Class II malocclusions treated with mandibular surgery.

Introduction: Class II malocclusion is often associated with retrognathic mandible. Some of these problems require surgical correction. The purposes of this study were to investigate treatment outcomes in patients with Class II malocclusions whose treatment included mandibular advancement surgery and to identify predictors of good outcomes.

Self-reports of psychosocial functioning among children and young adults with cleft lip and palate.

Objective: A cross-sectional study was employed to determine the psychosocial effects of cleft lip and/or palate among children and young adults, compared with a control group of children and young adults without cleft lip and palate.

Participants: The study comprised 160 children and young adults with cleft lip and/or palate and 113 children and young adults without cleft lip and/or palate. All participants were between 8 and 21 years of age.

Class III surgical-orthodontic treatment: a cephalometric study.

Introduction: In this retrospective study, we investigated treatment outcomes in Class III surgical-orthodontic patients.

Methods: Records of 151 consecutively completed Class III surgical-orthodontic patients (overjet, 0 mm or less) were obtained from 87 consultant orthodontists in the United Kingdom. Pretreatment and posttreatment cephalometric radiographs were analyzed.

Age-related changes in sagittal relationship between the maxilla and mandible.

The aim of the study was to assess age-related changes in sagittal jaw relationship during pre-pubertal and pubertal development on the basis of angular [ANB, anteroposterior dysplasia indicator (APDI) and A-B plane angle] and linear (Wits, AF-BF, App-Bpp, and App-Pgpp) measurements. Lateral cephalograms of orthodontically untreated subjects were evaluated at 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 years of age. Cephalometric standards and age-related changes were determined on the basis of Class I subjects with a good occlusion (n = 18, 10 males and 8 females).

The psychosocial effects of cleft lip and palate: a systematic review.

This systematic review examined the published scientific research on the psychosocial impact of cleft lip and palate (CLP) among children and adults. The primary objective of the review was to determine whether having CLP places an individual at greater risk of psychosocial problems. Studies that examined the psychosocial functioning of children and adults with repaired non-syndromal CLP were suitable for inclusion.

The influence of mandibular prominence on facial attractiveness.

This study examined the attractiveness of facial profiles. One hundred and two social science students (28 males and 74 females) rated the attractiveness of a series of silhouettes with normal, Class II or Class III profiles. A random sequence of 10 images included an image with the Eastman normal SNB value of 78 degrees, and images with SNB values of 2.

The prevalence of bacteraemia on removal of fixed orthodontic appliances.

This study investigated the prevalence of bacteraemia on removal of fixed appliances. Venous blood samples were taken before and after debonding and debanding for 30 patients (mean age 17 years 8 months) who had worn fixed appliances for an average of 19 months. Before removal of the fixed appliances, bacteraemia was detected in one of the 30 subjects (3%) and in four subjects (13%) following removal of their fixed appliances.

Sagittal and vertical growth of the jaws in Class II, Division 1 and Class II, Division 2 malocclusions during prepubertal and pubertal development.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the sagittal and vertical development of the jaws in Class II, Division 1 (II/1) and Class II, Division 2 (II/2) malocclusions. In addition, facial morphology was to be investigated in probands with these malocclusions.

Probands And Methods: Maxillary and mandibular development was investigated with reference to lateral cephalograms of orthodontically untreated probands from the Belfast Growth Study at 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 years of age.

Three-dimensional analysis of maxillary and mandibular growth increments.

Objective: To analyze changes in the facial, maxillary, and mandibular skeleton in the vertical, sagittal, and transverse dimensions during an orthodontically relevant period of dentofacial development (i.e., between 7 and 15 years of age).

Transverse development of the craniofacial skeleton and dentition between 7 and 15 years of age--a longitudinal postero-anterior cephalometric study.

The aim of this study was to identify the transverse growth pattern of the craniofacial skeleton and dentition from 7 to 15 years of age. The database for this longitudinal study comprised the postero-anterior (PA) cephalograms and dental casts at 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 years of age of 18 untreated Class I subjects with good occlusion from the Belfast Growth Study. Differential magnification of the PA cephalograms was corrected using the method of similar triangles.

Dental arch widths and mandibular-maxillary base widths in Class II malocclusions between early mixed and permanent dentitions.

The aim of the study was to analyze the transverse morphology and development of the dental arches and skeletal mandibular-maxillary bases in untreated Class II malocclusions. Using the records of the Belfast Growth Study, a Class II division 1 group (II/1) and a Class II division 2 group (II/2) were compared with a Class I group and a control group with good occlusion. On posteroanterior cephalograms, maxillary skeletal base width and bigonial and biantegonial widths were determined at two-year intervals between seven and 15 years.

Localizing ectopic maxillary canines--horizontal or vertical parallax?

This study compared the use of horizontal parallax (HP) and vertical parallax (VP) radiography for localizing ectopic maxillary canines (EMCs). The true positions of 43 EMCs were determined using the operative notes and subsequent study models following exposure and eruption. Thirty-four palatal and nine buccal EMCs were included in the study.

A comparison of craniofacial form in Northern Irish children with unilateral cleft lip and palate treated with different primary surgical techniques.

Objective: The quality of outcomes in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) was compared between two senior plastic surgeons. One surgeon carried out a one-stage Wardill-Kilner palate repair. The other surgeon employed a vomer flap hard palate repair followed by a von Langenbeck soft palate closure (Oslo protocol).

Photo-elastic stress analysis of initial alignment archwires.

Photo-elastic models replicating a lower arch with a moderate degree of lower incisor crowding and a palatally displaced maxillary canine were used to evaluate the stresses transmitted to the roots of the teeth by initial alignment archwires. Six initial alignment archwires were compared, two multi-strand stainless steel wires, two non-super-elastic (stabilized martensitic form) nickel titanium wires, and two stress-induced super-elastic (austenitic active) nickel titanium wires. Three specimens of each archwire type were tested.

Changes in vasoactive intestinal peptide in gingival crevicular fluid in response to periodontal treatment.

Aims: To evaluate the role of the anti-inflammatory neuropeptide vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in periodontal health and disease and to determine the effects of periodontal treatment, resulting in a return to periodontal health, on the levels of VIP in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF).

Methods: At baseline, 10 subjects with periodontitis (nine females, one male, mean age 43.0, SD 7.

Mandibular advancement appliances and obstructive sleep apnoea: a randomized clinical trial.

This randomized placebo-controlled cross-over trial assessed the effectiveness of a mandibular advancement appliance (MAA) in managing obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Twenty-one adults, with confirmed OSA, were provided with a maxillary placebo appliance and a MAA for 4-6 weeks each, in a randomized order. Questionnaires at baseline and after each appliance assessed bed-partners' reports of snoring severity (loudness and number of nights per week), and patients' daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Score, ESS).

The influence of maxillary gingival exposure on dental attractiveness ratings.

This study examined the influence of maxillary gingival display on the attractiveness ratings awarded by lay people. One hundred and twenty university students (94 females, 26 males) were shown seven photographs of a male and seven photographs of a female subject, each with varying levels of gingival display ranging from -2 to +4 mm. Attractiveness ratings were recorded on a 10-point numerical scale for each of the photographs.